A New Start
by lighting one
Summary: Post-war set during New Moon Au. When tragedy strikes Hermione leaves everything behind to make a new start for herself with family and new friends. Rated M just in case.
1. Chapter 1

_This is my first attempt at writing fanfiction. I hope you enjoy. I own nothing all characters belong to their respective authors._

 _Quick note:_ _This fic is completely AU I have aged some characters to fit better with this story._

Chapter One

15 July 1999

Time seemed to drag while I was waiting in the arrival lounge. I'd been here for an hour now just waiting. I see other people waiting for their loved ones to arrive, the clock on the far wall says it's 7 in the morning, then there are people starting to pour though the gates, I catch a glimpse of him through the throws of people that have now bombarded the gate to get to their loved one. He see me, walking toward me my eyes suddenly fill with tears, he still looks the same, tall dark haired well there seems to be more grey in his hair these days. He looks at me and I see his eyes are also filled with unshed tears, walking towards each other more quickly now as he reaches me he pulls me into him and I hug him fiercely, letting my tears fall as I do, I feel his own tears wetting the top of my hair.

"I'm so sorry Little One, I'm sorry I couldn't get here sooner." My Uncle Charlie whispered into my hair soothingly, trying his best to console me.

Slowly my tears subsided, and breathing becoming slow sniffles instead of the long deep breathes that it was.

"It's okay Uncle Charlie you're here now, I'm so glad you're here, everything seems to be sorted, the service is being held at 11 this morning." I managed to hiccup out to him.

"Okay. Okay that leaves us a couple of hours to have some breakfast and sort ourselves out." His voice is steadier now.

"You're staying at the house with me, aren't you Uncle Charlie." I can hear the pleading tone my voice has taken on.

"Sure am Little One, no better place I'm sure of it." He replies, once again pulling in for a hug.

15 July 1999 Granger House 1.30pm (the wake)

I'm so glad my Uncle Charlie arrived, although he has never been the emotional talk about your feelings kind of guy, but today he has been my rock, the best source of support for me.

Today we held the funeral of both my mum Jean Isabella Granger nee Swan and my dad Brian Louis Granger. The Ministry help me to restore the memories of my mum and dad after the war, many angry words had been said and feelings hurt about secrets kept. But after everything had been said and done as a family we all went to talk to a professional, with the help from the mindhealer we were able to reconcile and share more with each other than ever before. Talking to someone I was also able to help heal myself, sorting through my own shit that had happened to me during the war. During the war I had been tortured, seen so much death and had suffered with starvation, I wasn't sleeping or eating properly, I would not leave the house and I wasn't talking or meeting with my friends, I just didn't know how to live.

I still visit the mindhealer occasionally, but only to ensure that I have not regressed back into my former self, but to be honest I don't want to be that Hermione from a year ago, too scared to do things, too scared to have fun or friends to scared to live, I have no intention to be her ever again. Five nights ago my mum and dad were out celebrating their twentieth wedding anniversary, they had had dinner and seen a show. However on their way home their car had been struck when another car had crossed the centreline, Uncle Charlie had read the report, the driver of the other car had been under the influence of drugs, everyone involved had been killed, my parents, the other driver and his pregnant wife. A horribly sad event all round.

My Uncle Charlie is my mum's younger brother, they were both born and raised in Forks, Washington in the United States. I sat on the couch in the lounge with Harry and Ron listening to Uncle Charlie as he told us about mum in her youth. How she loved to play in the rain, hiking in the woods and terrorising him and his friends, we all laughed at that last one.

"You're just like Jeanie Little One when she was your age, did ya know that, she loved learning new things and she loved to read anything and everything, I think all you Swan girls are like that, cause my Bells is too." He said quietly.

"Mum was beautiful wasn't she?" I mumble as I gently finger the photo of her at 18 off to Washington State University, her arms wrapped around a goofy 14 yrs. old Uncle Charlie smooching his cheeks.

"You look so much like her Little One, but yeah she was a looker, I remember lots of guys use to chase around after her, even some of my friends which was really weird, but your mum was one determined lady, she wanted more of a life that what forks had to offer, so off to University she went and completed her degree." He told me. "She loved to swim, she was always swimming when the weather let her, which was hardly ever, but she did love it, she was always off in her car to First beach, you remember First beach don't ya Little One?" I bobbed my head up and down. "She meet your dad on that beach Little One, she once told me how one day she was just walking along the beach and she saw Brian gazing out into the ocean, he turned and couldn't take his eyes off her, she had never seen him before and wandered if he was lost, she went to see if he was alright and her told her when he looked at her that he was taking in the beautiful scenery. I gagged when she told I thought it was so corny. But they did end up spending the rest of the day together talking you know getting to know each other and the rest as they say is history. It's kind of a beautiful now thinking about don't you think?" "I do Uncle Charlie I really do."

People started to move towards my Uncle and I offering us their condolences once more as they started to leave, the last to leave of course was the Weasley family every one of them giving us giant hugs and wet kisses before leaving through the floo. Harry however insisted on staying to help me sort all my parents belongings it was going to be an epic task to be sure.


	2. Chapter 2

Later that evening Charlie, Harry and Hermione were all sitting around the table pushing their dinner around on their plates, Mrs Weasley had sent a Shepherd's pie over for them and it was delicious as always, but no one sitting at that table had seemed hungry and the conversation had also slowed each of mulling of their own thoughts.

"So Little One" started Hermione's Uncle Charlie. "Have you had any thoughts about what you plan to do now?" He enquired of her.

"Well Uncle you know mum and dad insisted that I continue to study toward my A levels as well as doing my Newts. Well I completed both this year and I was thinking of taking a year off to figure out what I want to do for the rest of my life. At the moment I have absolutely no idea. But after I've been through all mum and dads estate papers and property, I'm going to visit you and Bells in the States, if that's ok with you."

"Little One that's a great idea we'd love to have you, it'll be great having you around again." He told her with a big smile on his tired face. Removing what looked like an envelope from his shirt pocket, he continued.

"It's from Bells" He stated as he moved the envelope in front of her. "Now seems like the perfect time to give it to you."

She took the envelope from him and quickly pulled the letter out from within.

"Can you read out loud Little One, please" She nods to him and begins.

 _Dear Mya_

 _I wish I could be there with you to share your pain and tears, to remind you to look after you when you forget to do it yourself to just be with you. I wish I was there to tell you how much both Auntie Jeanie and Uncle Brian loved and adored you, how their eyes shone with pride whenever they looked at their beautiful clever daughter. I wish I could be there to listen to you talk about how much you already miss them and how much you will always love them. I want to rage against the world about how unfair this entire situation is._

 _I hope you will forgive me for not being there. When everything has settled for you would you please think about here, stay for a bit let us look after you for a change._

 _I miss you so much Mya, please come and please remember all the good time._

 _Your Favourite cousin_

 _Bells._

She looked towards her Uncle Charlie he was leaning back into chair giving her a small sad smile.

"She's right Little One I'm glad you're coming."

"So am I Uncle."

"You're most welcome to come with her Harry." He turned his eyes towards Harry as he offered his invitation. "You can have the couch"

"Thanks Charlie, I think I'll take you up on that, but maybe not for a little while I'm still in Auror training at the moment. But I get two week off either side of Christmas, we could spend Christmas at yours Charlie, couldn't we Hermione."

"Why yes Harry we could, what a brilliant idea." Then she added cheekily "did it hurt." Both she and Charlie laughed.

"Oh shut it Hermione I do have good ideas sometimes."

"Sure, sure whatever you say Harry. But Christmas would be great."

"I'll tell bells, she'll be ecstatic."

"So Uncle Charlie how is my favourite little cousin."

"She doing good, got herself a boyfriend, god knows what she wants with one of those. Edwin of Edmund I think his name is, he's a good kid really, it's just that he's not like any other teenage boy I have ever known. Maybe it's just me, she's my little girl after all, I just didn't expect to have to share her, and I only got her back."

"Oh Uncle Charlie she'll always be your little girl even when she's married with kids around her ankles." Her and Harry chuckle at the dark look he shoots Hermione. But it doesn't take long for him to start chucking as well.

"So Little One" he says to change the subject. "Do you need help with the lawyers and accountants?"

"Did I forget to tell you, oh well we both have a meeting with the lawyer tomorrow."

"Ok then that's our day planned."

The week after the wake had seen Hermione's Uncle Charlie was back on a plane returning home. They had sorted out the wills of her parents and now Bella had a very healthy college fund, her Uncle Charlie had also received a share of her parent estate to which he complained loudly about. Hermione herself had received the majority of her parent's estate including the house and the proceeds from the sale of her parent's dental practice as well as all their processions that she now had to work her way through. She thought about the mountainous task ahead of her and cringed.


	3. Chapter 3

_Sorry it has taken me so long to update. I would like to thank all those who have reviewed and are favorite/following._

 _KateWinters97 Yes Charlie does know:)_

 _jojojotrunks Im not sure on pairings at the moment_

 _Lizziestrong Thank you_

 _Guest Have decided._

 _PS I dont have a Beta so sorry about all the mistakes._

* * *

The house was such a large lonely place that Hermione never spent the night in it, most evenings she stay at Harry's place he had given her, her own room there, or she'd stay the night at the Weasley home were shed bunk with Ginny, she just couldn't imagine staying in her family home on her own.

Her days however were spent in the large house, she had been trawling through her parents belongings deciding between what she was going to keep like her father's favourite pocket watch and her mothers rings and what she was either giving to charity or what was to be sold.

There was just so much stuff, piles and piles of Manchester, dishes, books and on and on it went. So by the middle of August Hermione was extremely pleased to only have three large boxes of family papers, birth certificates passports insurance papers and the like, to sort. So on a warm Saturday afternoon in the middle of August Harry and Ginny had decided to go get dinner from the fish and chip shop down the road while Hermione found herself sitting on the floor in the middle of her father's study staring disbelieving staring at a document that she held in her hand, nothing made sense she reread the paper again and again trying as if doing so she would find it to be fraudulent so she read it again. No, no, no she thought to herself this can't be right, it just couldn't be. The letter in her hand was dated the 15 March 1982 addressed to her father from a Fertility Specialist, basically telling her father that he was infertile due to mumps he had contracted as a child, how could this be, she question herself. She could feel the tears welling up in her eyes her breathes were coming quickly she was still thinking of her dad. Her dad, who wasn't really her biological dad. Both of her parents knew and neither of them had thought it necessary for her to know. She was bawling now. The stomping on the staircase told her someone had heard the noises she was making when the door opened she launched herself at said person holding on to them as the person slowly lowered them both to the floor.

"Hermione, are you alright what's going on?" Harry asked her trying to pry her from him so he could look at her. She continued to cry sobbing uncontrollably into his shirt. She felt another pair of arms wrap themselves around the pair.

"Please Mia please tell us what's wrong." Ginny whispered into her ear.

"Hermione" Harry uttered he was so worried about his friend with the death of her parents Hermione was coping very well her continued visits to her Mind Healer were doing wanders for her and now something had completely shattered her. She raised her head and looked at her friends both had looks of concern for her on their faces slowly she pulled her hand back from harry so it was between them he saw the paper she was offering to him, he took it and read it quickly before passing it to his girlfriend.

"Oh, Hermione." She heard the sympathy in his voice.

"Harry, Ginny this can't be true can it, please Harry." She begged him to tell her so.

"Hermione I'm sorry but this is an official letter." He told her. He looked at her paled face as she continued to sniffle "But Harry that means" she stumbled over her words "that means I'm not his daughter." She cried. "Do. Do you think he knew, he must have known" She continued as she grabbed the letter from Harry waving it around erratically. "Why didn't they tell me, no I had to find out when neither of them is here to explain themselves?"

"Mia no one but your parents know the answer to that." He told her. "Hermione I can understand why you're so upset, but please don't let this eat you up, remember both your parents loved you dearly Wasn't Brian the best dad you could have possibly asked for? He and your Mum gave you everything you needed. Even I, Harry bloody Potter could see how proud of you Brian was, no one would have ever guessed that he was not your biological father Hermione the man adored you."

Hermione let the words of her best friend sink in and she knew they were true; she did have the best Dad who she loved more than anything. She had seen the wedding photos and the marriage certificate, they had married two months before she was born, and she had never thought anything about. She knew her parents loved each other immensely she had walked in on them showing each other the love they had for the each other a couple of times over the years, she was sure they had scared her.

"I know Harry" she finally replied feeling a little better. "Harry what am I going to do?"

"About what Hermione?"

"About this situation I find myself in." was her strained reply.

"Hermione you don't have to do anything. Nothing has change, except you may have another parent out there. But to be honest Hermione, I have to wonder what this man may be like. I mean your Mum hadn't even told you about this and it makes me think that maybe either the situation wasn't ideal or the guys a dick." Harry said to her. Ginny however glared at her boyfriend and soothingly said " Hermione what Harry is trying to say is maybe your donor wasn't in a position or wasn't willing to help your Mum but still you turned out great Hermione with a fantastic dad.

We know you Hermione" Ginny continued " you have a curious nature, you're going to ask questions, you're going to want to find him and when you do know that we are still here for you for whatever you need whenever you need it, but heal first please can you do that for me?"

Hermione nodded as she clutched at her friends dragging them in to hug her "You guys are the best" she muttered.

"Hell yeah we are, but didn't we all already know that." Ginny replied causing the other two to giggle. "Now dinners downstairs getting cold hop to it time to eat"

The three friends got up off the floor all feeling much better than at the start of the discovery as they headed downstairs towards their dinner.

After dinner the three friends continued to sort the final lot of papers, Hermione had decide to keep only the most important documents birth, marriage and death certificates the house papers and insurance documents the rest she had shredded and binned. The house had at last been sorted through with that the three locked up the large house and left Ginny to the Burrow Harry and Hermione to Grimmauld Place.

"What are you going to do with that big house Hermione?" Harry turned to ask her as he handed her a cup of tea,

Hermione was sitting in a large leather couch in Harry's Library; she smiled her thanks to her friend and watched as he sat next to her.

"I'm going to sell. I don't need it is so big, I don't think it will take long the market has been crazy lately and it's a large house in a good neighbourhood." She gazed at her friend and continued "Harry I've been thinking since Uncle Charlie returned to the States."

"Yeah Hermione about what" Harry asked her.

"Well when the house is sold I'm going to move over by my cousin and Uncle. They are all the family I have left in the world Harry. I love you guys I do its just you and the Wesley's can pop over to see me whenever you like and I really want to get to know my family again I feel like I've neglected them I haven't spent any time with them for at least the last six years I need to make it up to them I don't wat to lose anyone else Harry and I miss them."

Harry sat there looking into his cuppa before turning his eyes on her; he could see her determination, her strength, her pride mingled with just a hint of fear. "It's a big decision and one I can see you've already made. It'll be good for you, I'll miss you something fierce but I'll pop over and see if I start to miss you too much. So have you told Charlie yet." She shook her head. "Well you know he's just going to love it. You should give him a call let him know."

"I will, soon." She yawned as she rose from the couch. Thanks for all your help today Harry, but I'm beat see you in the morning, kay."

"Sure Mione see you in the morning; hey don't forget your turn to cook breakfast."

"Sure, sure whatever you say Harry."


End file.
